Chapter 121 [He Sui vs. Wen Huai] Let him wait two years, until she grows up...

Chapter 23 [He Sui vs. Wen Huai] Let him wait two years, until she grows up...

Wen Huai brought back the good news about her daughter's high school admission. Upon hearing this, the teacher's sickly face immediately brightened up, and Zhuang's father was so happy that he couldn't speak, feeling proud of his daughter.

When the villagers learned that Wenhuai had passed the imperial examination, they all came to congratulate him. The dilapidated house of Zhuangjia was crowded with people. Everyone praised Wenhuai for his intelligence, saying that the small village had finally produced a promising person, and the whole village felt proud.

Xinyan is back too, and she brought Wenhuai a lot of delicious food.

Wen Huai was surrounded by people, who thanked her politely one by one. Her humble and composed demeanor made everyone envious of Zhuang's father for having such a promising daughter, and even the ancestral graves seemed to be emitting auspicious smoke.

Xin Yan was observant, and he noticed that although Wen Huai seemed happy on the surface, she seemed to be hiding something. So he took advantage of the fact that they were alone to ask her.

Wen Huai didn't tell Xin Yan about He Sui's matter, but only asked him if her brother would support her if she chose to be appointed as an official in a remote area.

"Silly sister, no matter what you do, how could your brother not support you?" Wen Huai was precocious and mature, something Xin Yan had seen since she was little. He felt very sorry for his sister, but he was a rough man and couldn't help her with her studies at all. At first, he could only work hard to earn more money so that she could use better writing materials.

"Don't think about so many other things. Just focus on preparing for the imperial examination. Maybe I really will become the top scholar's brother." Xin Yan patted Wen Huai's head and comforted him.

"Brother, I understand." Wen Huai nodded, bringing his thoughts back to himself.

What she needs to do now is to pass the palace examination first.

Upon learning of Wen Huai's high ranking, many villagers considered marrying their sons to her. However, most of the young men in the countryside were only good at manual labor and couldn't compare to the beautiful women in the city. They figured Wen Huai wouldn't be interested.

But some people still managed to find Zhuangfu's place.

Zhuang's father had not considered Wenhuai's marriage. He was illiterate and was afraid that arranging anything casually would only burden his daughter. So he declined the marriage on the grounds that Wenhuai was still young.

More importantly, Zhuang's father happened to see a small portrait on Wen Huai's desk. Although it was only a few strokes, it was recognizable as a handsome man. Zhuang's father did not ask Wen Huai, but he could guess what it was.

It seems that Wen Huai already has someone in his heart.

Zhuang's father wouldn't interfere too much in such matters, as long as the other party was a well-behaved young man from a respectable family. Wen Huai was already grown up and would handle such things himself.

Wen Huai put He Sui's portrait into his purse, intending to take it with him on the day of the imperial examination.

This was an animation she created on a whim in her spare time. She originally wanted to write a few words on it, but after going back and forth, she couldn't figure out what words would match He Sui.

It would be great if I could know his nickname.

This was the boldest thing Wen Huai had ever thought of, because a man's nickname is usually only known to his family and wife.

On the day of the imperial examination, Wen Huai dressed neatly and went with the other students to the Golden Palace to meet the emperor.

The Emperor sat on the dragon throne, looking down at the students with different expressions. Most of them were nervous, and some even trembled when they saw her, except for a few at the front of the line who remained relatively calm.

Li Xuezi, needless to say, has been taking the imperial examinations for many years and has long been a worldly person. After years of tempering her character, she can remain calm and composed when facing the current emperor.

Ultimately, she had become numb to the exams. Even if she became an official, she would have to retire and return to her hometown in a few years.

Wen Huai suppressed her nervousness, and on the surface, she remained calm and composed.

Among the students who participated in the palace examination, she was the youngest and came in second place. How could such talent not make people take notice?

Emperor Wei was the first to ask her, "I heard you are Zhuang Wenhuai, how old are you this year?"

Wen Huai stepped forward and replied, "Your Majesty, I am just fourteen years old."

Everyone present couldn't help but gasp. This person is so young!

The students behind also looked at Wenhuai with curiosity. This was the dark horse who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, the Zhuang Wenhuai whose background no one knew? They never expected that such a talented person would come from a poor family and had always been quiet and unknown.

But after today's palace examination, her name will likely resound throughout the capital.

Emperor Wei seemed to have a great interest in Wen Huai. After asking all the students questions, he asked Wen Huai a few more questions, which were quite profound. Even Li Xuezi was not very confident in answering them.

Although Wen Huai stumbled a bit, she managed to get everything out of her head. Her palms were already sweaty. She didn't know what the emperor meant. Did he think she was too young and didn't want to use her, or did he want to test her?

In the end, Emperor Wei never gave a definite answer.

The top three were not determined on the spot in this palace examination, but Emperor Wei kept Wen Huai behind alone. The students already knew that Emperor Wei valued Wen Huai very much and wanted to personally tutor him.

Wen Huai was summoned to the Imperial Study, where he found a young official dressed in a crimson robe. Only officials of the third rank and above were allowed to wear purple, so this official must be of a high rank.

"Minister Su, this is Zhuang Wenhuai, whom you mentioned to me last time," the Emperor said to Su Yawan.

Su Yawan turned her gaze to Wen Huai and was slightly surprised. Although she knew that Wen Huai was young, she did not expect that she still looked childish. However, she looked very familiar, as if she had seen her somewhere before.

Su Yawan suddenly remembered that she seemed to have attended Jiang He's wedding.

Wen Huai also recognized Su Yawan, knowing that she was the Prefect of Jingzhao, His Majesty's confidante, and a good friend of Miss Jiang. On the day of Miss Jiang's wedding, she had even joked and played around with Miss Jiang.

Now, in front of His Majesty, he appears to be a steady and reliable person.

“Miss Zhuang is so talented at such a young age. Even I, your humble servant, find her remarkable. This is truly a blessing for me, Your Majesty. I am happy for Your Majesty and offer my congratulations!” In just a few words, Wen Huai realized that Su Yawan was no ordinary person.

Does being an official always require a shrewd and calculating mind?

Emperor Wei laughed, "Minister Su, you once achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations. How come you've completely lost your fighting spirit when facing younger generations?"

"This humble subject cherishes and values ​​talent," Su Yawan said modestly.

She had no desire to compete with anyone; she only hoped that the Emperor would release her soon, as she had other things to do.

"This humble subject dares not compare himself to Lord Su," Wen Huai said in a flustered manner.

"I didn't actually intend for you to compete," the Emperor said, looking at Wen Huai. "I think you have the talent to be the top scholar, but you're still too young. Without enough experience, you can't do certain things. You need to be tempered first."

"Duanzhou is a poor and remote place. I want you to stay there for two years. Are you willing?"

Wen Huai steadied his breathing, knelt down and kowtowed, "Your humble servant is willing."

The emperor did not explicitly announce the winners of the top three in public, but everyone already knew perfectly well that a fourteen-year-old champion was enough to generate a lot of gossip. The overwhelming praise at that time might not be a good thing for Wen Huai, whose mind was not yet fully developed.

The higher you're lifted up, the harder you fall.

Emperor Wei's actions were also to protect Wen Huai. If she were to grow up in the future, she would become a capable minister who could serve the court and bring great benefits to the country.

This year's imperial examination broke with past practices. Although the students were all granted corresponding official positions based on their performance, there was no longer a distinction between the top three scholars (状元, 榜眼, and 探花).

For Li Xuezi, having an official position was all that mattered. Even she, the most senior person, had no objections, and no one else dared to submit a memorial to offend the emperor.

The trip to Duanzhou was urgent, and Wenhuai only had time to say goodbye to a few close family members.

The lady's illness worsened. It was just a minor cold, but it triggered her long-standing heart ailment. Years of frustration and unfulfilled ambitions had already damaged her heart. It was only thanks to Wen Huai that she had been able to hold on until now, just to see her pass the imperial examination and become an official.

When Wenhuai chose to be sent to a post outside the capital for training, the teacher did not inquire why she had changed her mind. In their conversation before the imperial examination, she had already confirmed that Wenhuai's original intentions remained unchanged and that he would definitely become an upright and honest official in the future, which was enough for her.

The day after Wen Huai went to Duanzhou, the gentleman passed away.

Zhuang's father was very reluctant to part with his daughter, but he also understood that Wen Huai was no longer the same child he used to be, and he could not be a burden to her, so he did not go with her.

He could have moved to the city and lived a better life, but he chose to stay in the village and wait for his daughter to come back. Xinyan would occasionally come back to stay with him.

Xin Yan gradually became thin and slender. Many guards in the mansion secretly sent him letters and small gifts. Although Xin Yan wanted to get married, she planned to wait until her younger sister returned.

Before leaving, Wen Huai requested an imperial decree from the Emperor, but kept it secret from the public.

She hoped that the Emperor would grant her a marriage with the eldest son of the He family, so that they could get married after she returned. If she failed to fulfill the Emperor's request within two years, he could withdraw the decree.

The Emperor found it quite amusing. He hadn't expected that this talented young girl would already be in love with the eldest son of the He family. If she remembered correctly, the eldest son of the He family, the second richest family in the capital, was several years older than her.

Su Yawan then spoke up in support, "Your Majesty, this is a wonderful thing, why not grant it your request?"

The Emperor picked up his imperial brush and waved his hand, saying, "Since Minister Su has spoken, then I will bestow a marriage upon you, as an encouragement for you to govern Duanzhou well."

Unable to hide his excitement, Wen Huai exclaimed, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty!"

When Wen Huai arrived in Duanzhou, the imperial edict bestowing the marriage had just reached the He family residence. The two elders of the He family looked at the edict several times to confirm that the name on it was correct, and immediately showed happy smiles.

"I never expected that this child would actually obtain an imperial decree for marriage. This is the first imperial decree in the He family for generations!" Father He said with a smile.

"It seems she truly loves Sui'er." Mother He was very pleased with this.

He Sui looked at the imperial decree bestowing marriage upon her, her slender hand stroking the name on it. This young girl actually had such courage, daring to request marriage on her very first audience with the emperor.

Two years is neither a long nor a short time. At least during these two years, his parents will no longer urge him to get married. The eunuch who delivered the imperial decree will also tell him the additional conditions attached to the decree.

If Wen Huai does not return two years later, he will be free to marry.

The little girl is making him wait two years, until she grows up.

He Sui murmured softly, "I wish you peace and good fortune in Duanzhou."